ECONOMICS - January 6th 2004 Hotels and family owned holyday accommodations lowered with 30% their prices after the peak season of Christmas and New Yearâs Eve ended. Also less expensive are trips abroad, the most sought after destinations being exotic locations and ski resorts.
IOHANNA ONACA PURDEA
ADVANTAGE. One can go on a winter vacation in the mountains at much lower prices than a week ago Once the winter holidays ended the pressure on the hospitality industry did not go away, with lots of tourists eager to take advantage of the lower prices.
The ski resorts in the Prahova Valley where full during the New Yearâs Eve vacation. And for the next two weeks the hotel owners dropped their prices with 20% to 25%," said Daniel Vasilescu, president of the Federation of Owners in the Romanian Hospitality Industry.
Hotel owners envisaged they will cut their prices by half, when the winter holidays season ended, by they did not make due on their promise because lack of snow and warm weather makes for a poorer tourist turnout, explained Vasilescu.
Tourists from Republic of Moldova and Ukraine are expecting to converge on the Prahova Valley on 7 and 13 January [when Orthodox Christians of Russian rite celebrate Christmas and the New Year, respectively].
Accommodation in a hotel in Predeal resorts costs now the equivalent of 20 euros per day, as compared to 60 euros at the top of the season.
The family owned accommodations in the Bran-Moeciu region cost now 30% less, with the price per room and night going from 500,000 lei to 800,000 lei [12 to 20 euros], according to Maria Stoian Visan, president of the Brasov County branch of the National Association for Rural Tourism, ANTREC.
"Our customers are now parents with their kids and groups of children vacationing with their teachers. Some 60% to 70% of our rooms
